Roving holder for a juke box selector



Feb. 14. 1956 .1. A. AUSTIN ROVING HOLDER FOR A JUKE BOX SELECTOR Filed Sept. 2, 1954 JamesA A TTORNEY United States Patent ROVING HOLDER FOR A JUKE BOX SELECTOR James A. Austin, Tampa, Fla. Application September 2, 1954, Serial No. 453,823

2 Claims. (Cl. 191-22) This invention relates to remote control devices and more particularly to coin controlled record players known as juke boxes or the like used to provide inexpensive entertainment in taverns and other places of business or centers of amusement or entertainment.

Boxes in which coins are deposited and selections are made of music desired to be played are mounted in fixed position at a distance from each record player with some of said boxes located along a counter, bar, or the like at which people sit or stand during the consumption of food and drinks and for conversing or for other purposes.

In places where food and drinks are served these stationary wall boxes or selectors are arranged in spaced locations including along counters and the use of these is not completely satisfactory for the reason that they are not readily accessible or convenient to the customer. Also access to them often is obstructed, sometimes by persons who have no interest in them or in the purpose for which they were installed.

Further, ordinary selectors are expensive and when a large number of them are used a very substantial investment is involved, it being almost impossible to place the selectors along counters or bars so that they will always be most convenient to the counter.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roving holder for a juke box selector which may be located beside and readily moved along a counter or bar and disposed at any desired location or position for ready and convenient access to a customer, or successively to one customer after another with maximum convenience and minimum effort and loss of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide. a suitable electric connection between a roving holder or mounting for a reciprocable wall box or selector so that electrical energy may be supplied thereto at all times and with minimum obstruction or interference with the use of the counter or bar.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of .the invention,

Fig. 2, a rear perspective illustrating a juke box selector and its mounting,

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4, a sectional view of the contact structure shown :on an enlarged scale.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a holder or record or the like. The holder is reciprocable on a track which may be attached to the rear edge of a counter and in which conductors are carried which are engaged by spring fingers having connections to the selector with the conductors having connections with the juke box and a source of electrical energy. The holder is intended not only to carry the wall box or selector but is intended also "Ice to carry accessories in connection with the particular business with which the structure is employed as, for example, in a restaurant it would carry menus, napkins and condiments.

With continued reference to the drawings, a counter or bar 10 is provided with stools 11 located in front of the counter on which customers may sit and be served. A juke box selector 12 may be conveniently supported along the rear edge of the counter or bar, in which box coins may be deposited and selections made for playing suitable phonograph records.

In order that the juke box selector 12 may be disposed along the counter at any desired location, an adaptor plate 13 may be provided having openings 13' for fasteners which secure the box to the adaptor plate. The adaptor plate is provided with elongated slots 14, one adjacent each corner and through which screws or other fasteners 15 may be attached to supporting posts 16.

The posts 16 are provided with threaded axles 17 on which are mounted rollers 18 having retaining flanges 19. The rollers 18 rest upon the upper edge of a track 20 with the flanges 19 extending over the front face or side of the track so that derailing of the rollers and move ment of the selector box rearwardly from the track and the counter adjacent which it is mounted is prevented. Movement in the opposite direction is prevented by means of a bar 21 attached to the lower end of each of the posts 16 by means of screws 22 extending one through each bar into the lower end of the post and with the rear ends of the bars 21 disposed at the remote side of the track 20 and having mounted thereon a screw 23 on which rollers 24 are mounted on roller bearings 25, such rollers being likewise supported by thrust bearing 26. Thus, the tendency of the selector and the posts 16 on which it is mounted to tilt rearwardly of the counter is opposed by the rollers 24.

In order to reduce friction and binding action of the lower ends of the posts 16 and the track 20, each post has a cutout portion 27 with a shaft 28 mounted at opposite sides of the cutout portion in the post and on which shaft are mounted rollers 29 on bearings 30. The spacing sleeve 31 serves to maintain said rollers in spaced relation, thus the tendency of the lower end of the post to bind against the track is prevented by the rollers which bear against the side faces of the track.

The track 20 is attached to the bar 10 by means of a fastening screw 32 located in the insulating sleeve 33, such screw engaging a bracket 34 fastened on the under edge portion of the counter by means of screws or other fasteners 35. Thus, a mechanical structure is provided by means of which the selector is mounted for movement along the track 20 in a position convenient to the customer sitting in front of the counter on a stool 11.

In order to establish electrical contact between the selector and the juke box conductors 36 extend from the selector to insulated terminal posts 37 on which are mounted contact brushes 38 for engagement with spaced conductor strips 39 maintained in spaced relation by means of of an insulator strip 40 with similar strips on the exterior of the two plates as well as one at the top within the track 20.

A detachable cover 41 may be provided for the terminal posts and may be held in position in any desired manner, for example, by means of screws 42.

The conductor strips 39 are connected by conductors (not shown) with a juke box (not shown) at a remote location, thus, in addition to the mechanical mounting of the selector on the track, an electrical connection is provided and maintained at all times regardless of the position of the selector along the track.

One or more accessory racks 43 which may have a bottom wire mesh 44 may be connected to one or both Patented Feb. 14, 1956 .3 of the posts 16 in any desired manner as for example bynreansof a 'bracket"4'5arrd*screws '46";

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by the present invention simpleimechanisrn is provided for the mountin'gyo f'the"selector of a coin-controlled record playerso'that thesjelector maybe readily movable along the're'ar end "ofa counter orbar andin addition to providing greater convenience to customers reduction in investment will. be; possible.

'ltwillbe'ebvibus' tothose Skilled inthe art that various changes maybe made in'the invention without departing-from. the spirit and; the scope thereof and therefore theinventi'on is notlimitefiby. that which is shown in, the drawings 'and'ilescribed in'the specification but only as indicated in, the-appended claims.

What is "claimed. 1 is: v

lfiIn combination with a counter or bar, a jukebox selectorfor roving movement along the'length of the counter 0rbar,-saidiuke box selector including spaced mounting posts 'supporting'said selector, a track fixed to the 'rear 'of the counter or bar andextending for the length thereof, electricallyinsulatedj conductor strips attached to said track for electrical connection to a jukebox, flanged, rollers carried by said posts. and engaging the upper edge of said track and cooperating with said posts to prevent separation .of said posts'fromthe track, bar means connected'to the lower ends of the posts and extending below andbeyond said track, rollers carried by said bar means on the remote sideof saidftrackfrorn said posts and bearing against said track,electricalcontacts carried by said bar means and slidably engaging respec the ones ofsaid conductor strips "and conductor means electrically connecting said contacts with said juke box selector in all positions of said selector along the counter or bar.

2. in combination with a counter or bar, a juke box selector for roving movement along the length of the counter or bar, said jukebox selector including a rail attached to the rear ofthe counter or bar and extending; the length thereof, insulated conductor strips carried by said rail for electrical connection to a juke box, holder means slidably supporting said selector onsaidlrailand including anti-friction rollers engaging upper and side surfaces of the rail; insulated electiical-scontacts carried by said holder means and slidably engaging respective ones of the insulated conductor strips, and conductor means electrically connecting said contacts with said juke box selector in all positions of said selector along the counter or bar.

ReferencesCited inthe, .file ofzthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,321 Miller Feb. 2, .1904

927,517 Fageol 'July 13, 190.9.

1',3.95','5.59. Davis a- Nov. 1, 19.2.}

2.561979 'Yingling Aug. 7, '1951 2,619,553 "Kroe'ckel l Nov. v2 5, 1252.

'FOR-ELGN PATENTS 63334-3 'Great Britain .Dec. l2, 1949 

